Beneath the Surface
by White Meteor
Summary: *ONESHOT* What was Ben THINKING going with Karen? No, he didn't go bonkers. He had his reasons... R & R please.


**Disclaimer:** Falling Skies is not my creation, all the Characters are not my brain child, etc.

**Timeline:** During Season 2 Episode 6 AKA "Homecoming"

**POV:** Ben

**A/N:** This episode just made me think: WHAT THE HEY BEN! There was a complete lack of logical in his action. Due to my inability to accept him and Karen as a couple…I came up with this.

* * *

There was a huge commotion, something about Hal bringing Karen back. I heard a bit about her but most people were not very comfortable talking about her, especially in front of me it seems. I went out and could hear the static-like communication used via the harness. I looked at the girl that Hal was carrying and realized the static was directed at her.

"Don't let her stay. We can't trust her, she's still attached to them," I warned.

"How do you know that, Ben?" dad asked me.

"I can hear it," I admitted unwillingly.

My dad believed me and agreed to sequester her in the psych ward but from the glare Hal gave me as he passed by. I could tell he disagreed.

* * *

Karen was acting scared and confused, as Dr. Glass tried to soothe her.

"Don't talk to her. I told you, we can't trust her."

"Ben…" Dr. Glass said warningly.

"She's not one of us," I said.

"That's alright, Ben. Hello, Karen," my dad said.

I watched as she answered dad's questioning. Her story was full of holes and contradictions. So many questions and irrationality like why would they de-harness a group of kids killing them in the process? Children were an asset to them as slave and free labour, so they only outlived their use when they're dead. Also wasn't it coincidental that she was the only one in the group that managed to live? Why did they remove it so carefully, rather than rip it out of them and ensuring that they kill anyone that had intel on them?

Luckily dad was not buying her bullshit and requested her to be under surveillance. But Hal was an entirely different story.

"Dad, I want to stay with her," I said.

"I don't think that's such a-" my dad began.

"I have a better chance than anyone of finding something that is not right," I protested.

"Alright, fine. I still want a guard on that door," dad said.

I went to her door.

"Hey, Ben. So what's going on?" Hal demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean all the suspicion. All the crap about those bad feelings or whatever it is. That's Karen."

"So you say. I've never met her before today, remember?" I said and couldn't help but wonder if Hal truly did believe she was better or if it was wishful thinking, 'wasn't Hal always the skeptic and me the believer?'

"That's because we lost her while she was helping trying to rescue you," Hal said.

Even though I didn't want to think this way I couldn't help but wonder, 'Did he regret it? Saving me at the price of his girlfriend? Would he rather I stay harness, than to lose his girlfriend?'

"I'm sure whoever she was before, she was a wonderful person. But the thing in there is not Karen," I told Hal wishing he could just trust me.

"So why are you any different, huh?"

Those words stung and it took me a moment to recover before I could say, "Because I'm not. Which is exactly why I can handle her. You won't be able to handle her manipulating-"

"Will you listen to yourself bro! Look at her. She was half-dead when we found her. She's scared and she's freaked out. How is she going to manipulating me?" Hal asked annoyed.

"She's already started," I stated, "if I were you I would keep him as far away as possible. Won't end well."

Hal began walking away, "God, you're such a-"

"Freak?" I challenged annoyed.

"No, I was going to go with tool but if you like freak, sure. We'd stick with that," Hal said.

* * *

"I for sure don't feel connected anymore. I remember what that felt like," she said.

"You do?"

"Yeah," she said and sighed, "like a hand wrapped around my throat. Moving me around like a rag doll, hardly able to breathe. Forced to witness horrible things. Powerless to speak up. You must remember."

"I remember."

"And you were paired with the Skitters. Imagine ten times that."

At that moment I truly felt sorry for Karen. Not the _thing_ talking to me. The _thing_ talking to me right now was the Overlord. But for the Karen that was trapped inside forced to watch as this ridiculous act unfolded.

As bad as being a slave for the Skitters were, at least they were able to empathized, possibly due to how their past were so similar to ours. I could not even begin to imagine how Karen felt being controlled by the Overlord. A being incapable of sympathy or empathy, filled with nothing but the desire for conquest.

"Can I get some more bread?" Karen asked.

"Yeah…sure," I said glad to leave.

* * *

That night I sat outside and looked up at the night sky. I didn't want to leave this place, my dad, Matt, even Hal. But being here was painful. I knew that my dad and brothers loved me, but love was not enough. What I wanted was trust and understanding. My dad, Hal, Weaver, they all didn't trust, much less understood me. I heard that conversation between Weaver and my dad, about how if I ever became a threat, Weaver wanted my dad to be the one to dispose of me. My dad had a really hard time answering either way. I guess it was because he was truly thinking that it could become a reality, so he didn't want to make a promise he couldn't keep.

The only three people here that probably trusted me were Jimmy, Matt, and Maggie. Jimmy probably should've have trust me as much as he did, because of me he's dead.

And the only person that might've understood my feeling of loneliness and the need to be accepted was Maggie. She appeared uncomfortable with getting too close with others, except for Hal. Perhaps it is this distance that allows her to see things more clearly than most. She reminded me a little of mom, not overly suffocating but always there supporting me silently.

* * *

As I went to bring Karen her breakfast, she began talking about the past. Then she asked, "Do you ever dream of what it was like? Before?"

"Hard to dream when you don't sleep," I said.

"Really? I don't think I ever slept as well as I did last night."

"Breakfast."

"Oh. Thank you. I can't believe how hungry I am all the time."

"Well, it's not much I'm afraid. Running low on everything."

"Time for another food scout, huh?"

"Pulling out soon anyways."

"To where?"

"I don't know. They don't tell me that," Ben lied.

"Because of your spikes? Guess I better get use to that too."

"Yeah…well…it's…um…it's not so much fun being called, uh…razorback, coathanger."

"Really? That's what they call us?" she asked amused.

"Not to my face but…yeah..."

"But it's not all bad, I'm realizing."

"Yeah."

"It's weird but I can hear almost anything."

"Like what?"

"Like conversations about the generator not having enough fuel. Or Captain Weaver being in a coma. I mean I assume you can too, right?"

At that moment I realized what a danger she posed to the Second Mass. Even trapped in the psych ward, she knew **everything**. I knew it was pointless to lie to her, "Yeah…sometimes. Yeah."

"When I was looking out the window earlier, I could see details I didn't even know existed. And then there's this," Karen said singlehandedly lift up the bed, "you got to admit that's kinda cool, right?"

"Karen, you have to put it down."

"What's happening?" she asked.

'This was bad, I felt connected to her,' I shook my head, "I don't know."

"I can feel it when you're near me."

"I can feel it too," I said as she drew closer, I wanted to pull away but resisted the urge.

"What the hell?" Hal said opening the door.

Karen fainted.

"What did you do to her?" Hal demanded.

I backed away. I couldn't risk her finding out what I was thinking. But more so I wanted to escape Hal's accusing gaze.

Karen was only the worst actress in the world. She went from fearful and confused, to guilt ridden, then to joyful and boastful within 24 hours. Yet in Hal's eyes, she was forever the damsel in distress. Was because he was only seeing what he wanted to see. But if that was the case then what did that make me in his eyes? An untrustworthy, Skitter ally?

* * *

I could hear it, Maggie demanding answers and Karen taunting and mocking her cruelly. I've been monitoring Karen, even when it wasn't my shift. If only Hal could hear her now, but he didn't have super hearing like I did.

Then there was a loud thud followed by something that sounded like someone gurgling on their own blood. I knew immediately that Maggie was in trouble. I rushed there and couldn't help but remember Red Eye's words to me.

**~Flashback~**

Red Eye was severely injured, so I decided to guard him. Communication between skitters and humans were different. Communication with skitters was based on telepathy. You did not have to say or explain anything, it was all understood with a glance.

So I understood very well, when we were holed up in that warehouse what he was trying to tell me. He told me they would come for me; that the Overlord was wary of me. That because of my connection with Red Eye and with my father being the second in command of the Second Mass, that I could unify Skitters and Humans, in a rebellion against the Overlords. But killing me would not solve anything, so instead they will use me.

The Overlord would send someone to severe my ties with Humans and try to turn me to their side. And at that time I must make a decision. In order to win the war, I must make a grave sacrifice. I must choose to stay with my family or to be the traitor, to join forces with the Overlord. And I must do what Red Eye himself has failed to do. To gain the trust of the Overlord so when the time comes, I can use everything I learnt against him.

**~End of Flashback~**

I burst into the room and looked at the carnage, it took me a moment to get over my initial shock and desire to help Maggie.

"Karen, what's happening?" I asked worriedly, "are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," she said, "she just burst in here."

"Lets get Dr. Glass," I said taking Maggie's pulse.

"No. Maggie said that no one would trust us. She tried to shoot me Ben."

I looked at Karen, then at Maggie who lied unconscious on the ground bleeding, 'Despite being armed, Karen was able to do this to Maggie…I can't let her stay here. Maggie is alive only because I made it here on time. The next person may not be…it would end very badly. And the next victim could be Hal or dad.'

"We're not safe here," I said.

"Where will we ever be safe?"

"I know a place where we could be safe…accepted…but we have to leave here first," I said looking at Maggie and thought silently, 'I'm sorry Maggie…I'm so sorry…'

I brought Karen to the roof.

"Ben, which direction."

"There."

"Ben!" Hal said pointing the gun at me, "you need to come with me now."

"No. We need to go. For our protection and the second mass," I said knowing Hal would not understand.

"I think we'll let dad weigh in on that. Now let's move. Both of you."

I knew if I didn't stop Hal, Karen would kill him. I had to do something before that. I walked over.

"I'm sorry," I said before choking him out.

"Will he be alright?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry it had to come to this."

"It had to come sooner or later."

"You know I loved your brother once. Very much."

"Yeah. I'm sure he loved you too. But eh…"

"I know."

Standing at the ledge I could hear them communicating with us.

"Ready?" I asked holding out my hand to her.

"Yeah," she said taking my hand.

As I took the step off the ledge I knew the path I had just chosen was one of no return.

When I was younger and my dad read Harry Potter to me, I always thought of how cool it would be to be Harry, a hero that will save the world. But it looks like I was destined to play the role of Snape. We landed and ran into the woods.

~End

**A/N:** Yes, my hope is that Ben is just going undercover as a mole. Cause anything else would be depressing


End file.
